- New Delhi/Dhaka: Bangladesh on Sunday said it was “surprised” and “shocked” that India had allowed former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to deliver a public address in New Delhi, warning that the move could seriously strain bilateral relations.
In a strongly worded statement, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said permitting the event in the Indian capital and allowing Hasina to make what it described as a “hate speech” amounted to a “clear affront” to the government and people of Bangladesh. It added that the development set a “dangerous precedent” with the potential to impair ties between the two countries.
Seventy-eight-year-old Hasina has been in India since August 2024 after student-led protests brought an end to her 15-year rule. On Friday, she made her first public address since leaving office, speaking through an audio message to a packed press club in Delhi.
Hasina was convicted in absentia by a Dhaka court in November on charges of incitement, issuing orders to kill, and failing to prevent atrocities. She was sentenced to death by hanging, according to Bangladeshi authorities.
In her address, Hasina urged the people of Bangladesh to overthrow the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, alleging that it was incapable of conducting free and fair elections. The speech came less than three weeks ahead of Bangladesh’s general election scheduled for February 12.
She described Yunus as a “corrupt, power-hungry traitor” and accused him of being part of a conspiracy to remove her government. Calling for mass mobilisation, Hasina appealed to the public to unite, invoking the spirit of Bangladesh’s Liberation War to “restore the Constitution” and reclaim democracy, sovereignty and independence.
At the same time, she called for an end to violence and lawlessness in the country and demanded “ironclad guarantees” for the safety of religious minorities, women and vulnerable sections of society. Hasina also urged the United Nations to conduct what she termed a “new and truly impartial investigation” into developments following the fall of her government.
Claiming that Bangladesh had been “plunged into an age of terror” since August 2024, Hasina alleged that democracy was “in exile,” press freedom had been extinguished, and human rights were being systematically violated. She accused the interim leadership of failing to maintain law and order and of allowing persecution of minorities.
The event also featured participation, both in person and virtually, from other Awami League leaders, including former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury and former foreign minister AK Abdul Momen. They echoed Hasina’s allegations against the Yunus-led administration and asserted that the upcoming elections could not be free or fair without their party’s participation.
